This is a line my (73 year-old) mother said to me the other day, while she was issuing a gentle warning not to fall into the trap of letting your life get smaller as you get older.

She was talking about how frustrating she finds it that — somewhere around the age of 50 or 60 — she watched as so many of her peers stopped making goals and long-term plans for adventure and exploration in their lives. Instead, they began shutting down, and making their lives smaller,... and their minds smaller, too. She got so weary of listening to them making self-deprecating jokes about how old they were, and how much their bodies hurt, and how bad their hearing and eyesight was getting... She felt they had surrendered to age far, far, far too soon. My mom said, "Nothing is more frustrating to me than listening to people who are still vital saying, 'Well, at our age, you have to be careful...'"

No. She begs to differ. As you get older, there is no more time to be careful, and no more REASON to be careful — at least as my mom sees it. Instead, this is time to seize as much life and joy and adventure and learning and novelty as you possibly can. As my mom said, "I hate seeing people slide themselves into the grave far before their time. Death will come when it comes — but it's crazy to sit around waiting for it. If you're not dead yet, you're not done yet."

My mom thinks that everyone should have a five-year plan for their lives, and also a ten-year plan, and a twenty-year plan — and that every few years you have to revisit your plans to see if your goals and aspirations have changed...and that you should never stop making these plans, even as you age. (Especially as you age!) She has shared with me the travel she wants to do in the next 20 years, and work she wants to finish, the projects she wants to begin, the cultures she wants to explore, the people she wants to enjoy, her fitness goals...

It's inspiring.

I have heard people speak of their lives as if they were finished at 30, done at 40, washed up at 50, too late to start over at 60, no more chances at 70...

But are you still here?

Then you aren't done yet.

Don't make your life smaller as the years pass. If it's time to start over, then it's time to start over. If you aren't where you planned to be, then it's time to make a new plan.

Today, I ask you all to share the most inspiring stories you know (from your own life, or the lives of others) about people who refused to be done yet, because they aren't dead yet.

Adrian Paul, star of the famed “Highlander” TV Series and feature films is launching a new endeavor - The Sword Experience on Sunday, April 10 in Temecula.

It will be an incredible day for would-be swordsmen and women to hone their sword play and sword technique.

This debut “Sword Experience” is being hosted at the stunning Lorimar Winery in Temecula, CA with Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis, the United Kingdom and Stuttgart Germany to follow.Adrian explains the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k-0VmK_iZIWith so much of today’s television and film programming including sword play of some measure (“Game of Thrones" to “Deadpool”); not to mention the incredibly active Faire / LARP and Causeplay communities - this is the perfect timing for Adrian to launch his new venture… perhaps in the world of zombies… only machetes will work!

Barbara Bradley Hagerty is an award-winning journalist who spent nearly 20 years as a correspondent for NPR, covering law and religion. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Fingerprints of God, a recipient of the Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowship in Science and Religion and a Knight Fellowship at Yale Law School. Before joining NPR, she was a reporter at The Christian Science Monitor. She lives in Washington, D.C with her husband and dog.

Did you miss today's show featuring Julie Lake and Shirin Najafi? Listen to our conversation here!

About Julie Lake

Julie Lake (SAG/AFTRA/AEA) plays the role of the lovable meth-head, Angie Rice, on the Netflix Original Series, Orange is the New Black. She is comedic writer and performer with the Los Angeles based all-female group, Share the Road, and the co-creator of the web shows, Mental and George and Julie. Born and raised in Palo Alto, California, Julie went on to attend Yale University where she majored in theater and performed the title roles in productions of Mother Courage and Medea. After graduation she moved to New York City where she performed in numerous plays as an artistic associate with the company Les Freres Corbusier under the direction of Alex Timbers. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and puppy, Rougarou.

Shirin grew up in Palo Alto, California and attended Columbia University in New York. She has written and directed comedy videos that have been featured on the Funny or Die homepage and written up by various media. Her screenwriting has been selected by the Austin Film Festival and CBS Diversity Showcase. Her prose writing has appeared in LA Weekly, The Rumpus, and other online publications. She lives in Los Angeles and hopes to one day have a husband or a cat.http://shirinnajafi.com/

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Called "an organic sensation” by The New York Times and named as “one of the nation’s leading organic food experts” by Shape Magazine, Max Goldberg is the founder of Living Maxwell, one of the most widely read organic food blogs in the country, and pressedjuicedirectory.com, the world's first pressed organic juice directory.

An organic food activist and speaker at industry trade shows, Max runs the Organic Food Industry Group on LinkedIn, where his weekly curated email is read by 13,000+ organic food CEOs, founders, and executives from all over the world.

Max received his BA from Brown University and his MBA from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business, and he is the author of the upcoming memoir Finding Maxwell: Reclaiming My Life After a Decade of Antidepressants.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Blk Premium Alkaline WaterOne of the best products that I tried was Blk Premium Alkaline Water. With its unique black color, it’s so different from the typical bottle of water. Also, Blk has different kinds of flavored black water, such as, black lemonade, tropical punch, blueberry acai, and mango splash. Personally, my favorite kind was the tropical punch, which has a subtle sweet flavor that I really enjoyed.Vita Coco

My absolute favorite products I tried at the event was from Vita Coco. Vita Coco had the most intriguing products, ranging from mango peach coconut water to their espresso infused café latte coconut water, which is my personal favorite. I loved the coconut water with pineapple and the vanilla café latte coconut water. With 630 mg of potassium per bottle, these drinks are the best pick me up, especially when you’re under the weather or just want something refreshing. Also, Vita Coco gave out small cups of popcorn with coconut oil sprinkled on top, which was a delicious and healthy substitute to butter. Hubert’s Lemonade

Hubert’s Lemonade was another great company to see at the Natural Products Expo. Their station was filled with a collection of lemonades to try, such as blackberry lemonade, blood orange lemonade, peach lemonade, and my personal favorite, watermelon lemonade, which tastes like a Jolly Rancher candy. Another reason to love these lemonades is because they’re sweetened with Stevia, instead of artificial sweeteners, making them guilt-free.Pamela's Products

Each year, Pamela's Products get better and better. This year featured even more gluten-free options for pancakes, cookies, and bars. Whenever Bars have been my go-to breakfast in the morning for awhile now. And my family eats Pamela's gluten-free pancakes for dinner some nights, packing them with blueberries, bananas and maple syrup. The great thing about Pamela's display is how personal she is with everyone. Pamela and her staff are always so friendly and there are so many samples to try. Her products, presentation, and people behind this great company, are just incredible!Immaculate Baking Company

Every time I attend the Natural Products Expo, Immaculate Baking is one of the companies I always look for. With their adorable display and friendly employees, they nearly draw you towards their table. As well as great presentation, they have some of the tastiest sweet treats to try. This year, they gave out sample pieces of their brownies and chocolate chunk cookies, which were delicious! Both products were soft, sweet, decadent, and so hard not to love!Amy’s Kitchen

Out of all the companies I saw, I cannot express how impressive Amy’s display was. From tables filled with their delicious candy bars, to slices of hot pizzas, samples of their pastas, as well as live food demos. A few of my favorites included their pesto swirls, Dreamy candy bar, chili mac, and the three cheese and kale bake. As well as a great display, all of their candy bars are vegan and all of their food products are vegetarian.Naked Juice

I’ve been a fan of Naked Juice for so long, so when I saw them at the event, I was so happy! Not only did they give samples of their existing flavors such as chia sweet peach and kale blazer, but they also featured their new line of cold pressed juices. I tried the hearty greens juice and the cool pineapple juice, which were both so delicious. They were naturally sweet, but also packed with so many healthy ingredients. Also, these refreshing juices have no added sugar in them, which makes them even better.Back to NatureConsidering mac n’ cheese is one of my favorite foods, seeing Back to Nature’s display made me very happy. Not only did it include a large variety of their of mac n’ cheese boxes, but their new microwavable cups too. As well as being delicious, the mac n’ cheeses come in a variety of fun shapes, such as “silly sea life” and “crazy bugs”. Additionally, the whole line of products is organic, which is also very impressive.

This year my photographer, RM Korisky, and I came up with the 3 P's Rating System for the Natural Products Expo West -- Product, People, and Presentation. Some businesses had great products, incredibly friendly people, and the marketing and presentation was outstanding. And then there were others who were not so great when it came to face-to-face chatting about their product (shy, unsure and not emphasizing the key points of their new item) or they didn't have a great presentation or a product that was unique on the market. The following is a list of some of the companies that really stood out!

#1

photo credit: RM Korisky

Pamela's Products continue to offer a wide array of products that are relevant to the needs of people with celiac and food sensitivities. Her line includes everything from pizza mix to cake and cookie mixes that are easy and delicious to make. This year, her product line expanded to include an entire line of pancake mixes that include: buckwheat, buttermilk, non-dairy, protein, grain-free and a nut flour blend. Pamela is always at the expo cooking and greeting people with incredible warmth and a genuine love for what she brings to the market. Her presentation is always outstanding, her people incredibly friendly and her products are a home run! And for this we give Pamela's Products - 3Ps!

Whoever thought of the walking Mamma Chia Squeeze character is super smart! Mamma Chia continues to attract people with great product marketing, friendly and knowledgeable staff and a fun and lively presentation. From squeezers, granola clusters, energy and vitality beverages, Mamma Chia continues to be an influential product on the chia market. And for these reasons, we gave Mamma Chia - 3Ps!

JC's Pie Bites. Addictive. Thanks a lot JC! You really can't just eat one of these and stop. They are the perfect size and come in so many different flavors. The staff at the JC booth were great, the presentation was awesome and the product...delish! And they have so many other great products, too.

Vita Coco's products made our list because they had a great, fun presentation, fantastic people, and a variety of excellent flavors. The Vita Coco Cafe drinks were so unique and really made their mark on a lot taste testers. My favorite was the Cafe Latte Coconut Water! Of course, we gave them 3Ps!

Amy's continues to expand their product line and each year. They always impress with their elaborate displays and the food disappears in seconds! Their growing list of products include a variety of tasty pizzas, parmesan swirls, three cheese and kale bake, chili mac, plus a whole line of other food items that include Mexican, Indian, Italian and Thai. Huge crowds of people clear the samples in seconds. Their products, people and presentation continue to be a leader at the Expo!

And did I mention the candy? Incredibly delicious!

www.amys.com (warning: don't look while you are hungry!)#6

photo credit: RM Korisky

Naked Juice continues to be a great healthy drink company and now they introduced their Cold Pressed line. The samples they offered were not only unique, but delicious and healthy in every way. There were items that were very unique to Naked Juice, which make them stand out in the crowd. Great people, packaging, really tasty healthy juices. And for these reasons, we gave them 3 Ps!

Opening Theatrically in New York (Cinema Village) and Los Angeles (Laemmle Music Hall) on Friday, March 18.

SYNOPSIS

Right-wing cable news and "conservative" talk radio attract older Americans like graying moths to an angry flame. But why would someone who was either apolitical or a Democrat in younger days become addicted to conservative talk shows in their twilight years? Filmmaker Jen Senko wondered how her WWII veteran and Kennedy Democrat father had been transformed into a Fox News fanatic, suddenly and inexplicably railing against minorities, homosexuals, poor people, and Democrats. Using her dad as an entertaining example, Senko pulls back the curtain to expose the tools and tricks of the wizards behind the right-wing media revolution. And in discovering what happened to him, Senko reveals the all-too-chilling bigger picture of what’s happening behind-the-scenes to influence our national discourse.

WITH day and date VOD RELEASE (iTunes, GOOGLE PLAY, VUDU and many more)

JSenko Productions
in association with Cinco Dedos Peliculas
present
A film by JEN SENKO

If you missed today's show featuring Anthony West and Brooke Adams, listenhere!

Anthony WestEntrepreneur, Investor, Philanthropist

Mr. Anthony West is the Founder of M.E.G. (Move Entertainment Group, LLC), Dubb Records, and Racks on Racks online clothing store. He serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman for all. In the early 2000’s, West began his career by establishing a telecommunications business specializing in the distribution of commercial equipment across the country. While being a businessman is the core of West's success, it is West’s true passion for entertainment that drives him. From his early years of DJ’ing in nightclubs and private events from Cancun to different cities throughout the U.S., and writing music for local artists; Mr. West has evolved his passion into the mainstay of his work by launching Dubb Records in 2007 in which he produces and co-writes with his signed artists; to launching Racks on Racks, an online clothing store, to launching the hospitality division of MEG in 2016 with Scene Lounge in Los Angeles. The DeVry graduate is a sportsman and world traveler, and a supporter of two key charities: Make A Wish Foundation and the Salvation Army.

Brooke Adams

Recording Artist

Currently, Brooke Adams is signed with Dubb Records and busy in the studio preparing for the release of her upcoming pop/rock solo album when he said “Brooke is an extraordinary talent touched by God.”One of the greatest compliments of Brooke’s career came from Michael Jackson.

A multi-threat, Brooke was cast in two seasons of Keeping Up With The Kardashians (under Kris Jenner’s management) and on Criminal Minds, which featured both her music and acting skills.

No stranger to the stage, Brooke has toured the USA and Europe and has participated in numerous high profile events including KISS FM’s Jingle Ball. She was involved in two girl groups, both receiving Billboard listed singles on the Dance charts.Her debut single reached #28 on Billboard’s Hot 100 List, which caught the eye of Grammy Award-nominated record producer Michael Blakey who produced four of her songs, which ended up being included on original motion picture soundtrack Cinderella II: Dreams Come True and Disney's Princess Favorites.Brooke Adams is a pop singer from Fort Worth, Texas native. She started singing at the age of three and focused heavily on training. By the time she was 10, she was performing at D.A.R.E. During this time, a friend set up a website for her and uploaded MP3s, through which she built up a significant following. Having been spotted by music scouts, she was offered record deal with 2KSounds, a division of Virgin Records.

In 2009, a newly elected President Obama asked Sam Kass to move from Chicago to the White House and continue his work as personal chef to the family. Kass remained personal chef to the First Family until December of 2014. During his tenure inside the White House, Kass took on several additional initiatives including roles as executive director of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" campaign and senior White House policy advisor for nutrition policy. In these capacities, Kass led the First Lady's work to help America raise a healthier generation of kids and ensure that kids have the opportunity for the long, healthy lives they deserve. As senior policy advisor on nutrition, he also advised on food and nutrition issues beyond "Let's Move!"

One of the First Lady's longest-serving advisors, Kass previously served as senior policy advisor for healthy food initiatives. Kass helped the First Lady create the first major vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt's victory garden. To date, the garden has yielded thousands of pounds of produce that has been used to feed event guests, staff and the First Family at the White House, with further harvests donated to local food shelters.

Kass joined the White House kitchen staff under Executive Chef Cris Comerford's leadership as assistant chef and, in 2010, became food initiative coordinator. Kass is a Chicago native and college athlete, played baseball for the University of Chicago, and graduated with a degree in U.S. history. He worked at 312 and Avec in Chicago and was trained as a chef by one of Austria's greatest chefs, Chef Christian Domschitz in Vienna.

In 2011, Fast Company named Kass to their list of 100 Most Creative People, and in 2012, Kass was named to the inaugural class of chefs in the American Chef Corps, which is dedicated to promoting diplomacy through culinary initiatives.

Kass lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, MSNBC television anchor Alex Wagner.

I once built an iOS app that was downloaded over 100,000 times in the first week and a half. I was on CNN for creating a viral website called Twitter Should Hire Me (they didn’t hire me). I co-created an online branding course called Brandgasm 101 with copywriter and creative genius Ash Ambirge. I also co-created a program called UNLOST with Paul Jarvis to help other creatives get out of their own way and do the damn work they want to do. From May 2014-May 2015, I was an Editorial Advocate and Senior Writer for Thought Catalog where my writing was read by over 21 million people in just a year. I wrote a post called This Is How We Date Now which was read by 10 million people and was turned into a short film by a group of students in the UK. In July of 2015, I was signed to Folio Literary Management.

Currently, I do graphic design, freelance writing, and creative consulting. I write all sorts of things on Instagram, as well as handwritten tough love notes. I am in the process of developing a nonfiction book of essays. I publish my writing on Medium frequently. I tweet, too. I also write posts on Facebook.

Most importantly, I am always in the process of rewatching FRIENDS.

Get in Touch

You can contact me by emailing jamie@jamievaron.com.

Appearances

Darken the Page — The Anchor of Your Conviction, Freelancing and Marrying Commerce and Art (podcast)

Real Talk Radio — Jamie Varon on Trusting Yourself and The Power of Taking Risks (podcast)Unmistakable Creative — Getting to the Heart of What You Want to Say with Jamie Varon (podcast)Now What Did We Learn — Self-Acceptance with Jamie Varon (podcast)
Misc.Interpretive reading of This Is How We Date Now on YouTube by Raining SilverLove Right Now — a short film created by students at the University of Portsmouth based off This Is How We Date Now. This was also screened at BFI Southbank London.